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Today, @PostKranish @marycjordan @thamburger and I took a close look at the Chairman’s Global Dinner, the glitzy kick-off to Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural. (1/7) wapo.st/2Jdn7XR
We focused on this event cause it brought together a few odd features of Trump’s inauguration—over the top spending ($8k/head) and a concentration of foreign guests. Trump was not even scheduled to attend at first—it was Tom Barrack’s show. (2/7) wapo.st/2Jdn7XR
“It was very strange. I remember thinking, ‘Okay, who’s paying for this? And why?’ ” one guest who attended told us. Unlike other events, this dinner wasn’t a perk for donors. Instead, it was invite only. (3/7) wapo.st/2Jdn7XR
So who attended? A few draft invitation lists from this event have been floating around. But we are the first to review the final, confirmed guest list, with table assignments. 140 of 550 were diplomats. 135 came on a list from Barrack. (4/7)
Controversial RNC fundraisers Elliot Broidy and Steve Wynn were there. Paul Manafort, his wife and daughter were on the list. Barrack’s guests included business partners, including from overseas. (5/7) 
California financier Imaad Zuberi, who was named in a recent SDNY subpoena to the inaugural committee, was assigned to sit with longtime Trump friend, New York real estate mogul Howard Lorber. (6/7)
Washington lawyer Wadie Habboush was assigned to sit with Reince Priebus. He was designated as a guest of “DJT”—unclear if father or son. A few weeks later, he showed up with a college friend of Trump Jr. at the White House to push a plan for Venezuela. (7/7)
